On Monday night, NZ Asian Lawyers was wowed by the amazingly challenging, and insightful viewpoint from Dean of Law at Oxford University Professor Mindy Chen-Wishart’s address at Russell McVeagh, on ‘Is there a Bamboo ceiling in the profession, academia and the judiciary?’ The short answer to this question is: it has gotten better, but there is still a bamboo ceiling.
She spoke on how there still exists subconscious, and in some cases conscious, racial biases. This is due to pervasive cultural and social stereotyping. There is a hierarchy for racial minorities, in which Asians are among the bottom. For instance, while some accents are considered “charming” – such as Irish or French accents – Asian accents such as Chinese or Indian are instead perceived as rendering the speaker to be “stupid”. Furthermore, many decision makers are not prepared to give opportunities to Asian minorities, as they have “never had one of them” doing the job, creating a vicious cycle in which few are afforded the chance to show that they can break the bamboo ceiling.
There is still much work to do before lawyers of colour and women lawyers and women lawyers of colour can be proud to be themselves and not regret the disadvantage of being born ethnic and female in Aotearoa New Zealand!
If you have experienced discrimination and bamboo ceilings as Asian lawyers, then please email Mai Chen at Mai.Chen@Maichen.nz or Pam Davidson at pam.davidson@lambtonchambers.co.nz or Takeshi Ito at takeshi.ito@millenniumhotels.com or any member of the NZ Asian Lawyers Board if you would like to share, and we will find a way to constructively compile these experiences. The first step to change is always to make the problem of discrimination visible – so others see the lives we live which is often invisible to them.
There was a great turnout, both in-person and online, including Justice Susan Glazebrook, Justice Matthew Palmer and Sir Geoffrey Palmer.
Thanks to Russell McVeagh for hosting this event, and to Lambton Chambers, Wellington, for sponsoring this event. Big thanks to Pam Davidson and to Mei-Fern Johnson!
Below are some photos from the event:
